Page 98 of The Wedding Dress Repair Shop
I said, honestly: ‘Only the last six years, when I let Marco derail my life. I can see now that I was never truly happy during them, but it’s hard to put them out of my mind completely when Marco is still haunting – or maybe that should bestalking– me.’
Then I told him how Marco had tried to track me down through Miss McNabb. ‘I thought he’d finally got the message when I didn’t answer any of his calls, texts or emails.’
‘I think he’s got a gall, trying to contact you at all, after what he did!’
‘Oh, but he blames that all on Mirrie and says I misunderstood the situation. He’s also magnanimously prepared to forgive me for ruining the Titania costume.’
‘Big of him!’ said Thom.
‘Actually, before it happened, I’d begun to have some serious doubts about our relationship anyway. We were so different, I couldn’t see how we would make things work. So, in a way, I suppose Mirrie did me a favour.’
‘Marco must be missing you, though, to persist in trying to contact you.’
‘What he seems to be missing is my input into his play writing! He used to bounce ideas off me and I finally managed to persuade him to turn his latest play into something more mainstream, not the sort that gets good reviews and short runs in tiny fringe theatres.’
He laughed. ‘But it worked. This one is a success, isn’t it?’
‘According to Will, it is.’
‘Will is still emailing you, then?’ Thom said, and I thought he looked at me rather closely.
‘I’ve only had a couple of one-liners from him recently, along the lines of “Great reviews and the theatre critics adoremy performance as Oberon!” I don’t feel any need to answer those, so I think his emails will slowly peter out.’
Thom smiled suddenly. ‘I quite liked him when he worked on one of the Silvermann films.’
‘He’s kind under that waspish exterior,’ I agreed. ‘He’ll fade out now I’m based so far from London and out of the theatre world, and if I can get rid of Marco too, there won’t be anyone from my past to pop up and haunt me.’
‘What about Miss McNabb?’
‘She only rang to warn me about Marco’s call. Now she’s successfully landed me with the cat, there’s no reason for her to keep in touch.’
‘I like Golightly,’ he said.
‘If you want to adopt him, I won’t stand in your way,’ I told him. Then added, ‘He alwaysloathedMarco.’
‘Good judge of character, then.’
‘Yes, well, I’ve alreadysaidyou were right about Marco all along, so you needn’t rub it in! I do hope he doesn’t suddenly turn up in Great Mumming, though.’
‘I’ll see him off for you if he does,’ he promised grimly.
‘It’s not that. I’m worried that if he spots you, he’ll tell everyone where you’re living now.’
‘You know, I think the others were right the other evening; it doesn’t really matter any more if people know where I am. Those films were so long ago –andovertaken by the whole Harry Potter phenomenon! – that no one is going to really care that I was once Ivo Gryffyn.’
I thought he underrated public interest in what had happened to him, although probably not to the extent that Great Mumming would be besieged by avid fans.
‘Let’s hope he doesn’t turn up anyway, seeing he’s part of apast I’ve been trying to forget about. Miss McNabb suggested I should answer his email and tell him straight out to leave me alone from now on,’ I said. ‘Perhaps I should, since he doesn’t seem able to take a hint, like being totally ignored.’
‘She could be right. Threaten him with going to the police and informing them that he’s stalking you. That should do the trick!’
Then Thom smiled down at me, his eyes like the darkest amber sprinkled with gold dust … and the air seemed to quiver again around us.
‘I’m just so happy we’ve found each other again, Garland,’ he said softly, putting his arms around me. ‘And this time we won’t let each other go, will we?’
‘No, we must never lose each other again,’ I agreed.
His arms tightened around me and he seemed about to say something else – but then I definitely heard the beating of wings and faint, far-away silvery laughter …
